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Children's Arbor Day Recitals
Arbor Day Plays and Skits for Teachers

Arbor Day Fete

Every season hath its pleasures,
Which we sing in joyous measures;
In Summer's sunshine, rich and sweet,
Blossom flowers, ripens wheat;
Autumn puts the wood aflame,
Poets give her beauties fame;
Winter comes—a world of snow
And crisp, clear air make faces glow;
Spring awakens Nature dear,
Song birds chant 'neath skies so clear,
Every season hath its pleasures,
Which we sing with joyous measures.

Enter boy and girl (with flag and drum).

Boy:

In Summer comes the joyous Fourth,
I beat my drum for all I'm worth;

Girl:

Our crackers make a joyous noise,
For girls like fun as well as boys.

(The holidays, after speaking, step to left and right of throne.)

Enter girl (in Puritan dress).

After reaping harvest's gold
Thanks we render, for manifold
The blessings are each passing year,
Thanksgiving is a day of cheer.

Enter girl (in coat and furs, arms full of packages and holly).

On the night before Christmas
There came to our house,
A right jolly old elf, as still as a mouse;
He filled all the stockings,
Trimmed each Christmas tree,
Made our Christmas merry—a good saint is he!

Enter very small boy (carrying a big book under his arm with 1913 printed on it).

The wild bells rang across the snow,
The old year went—though loath to go;
The New Year came, while bells were ringing;
His days of joy and sorrow bringing.

Each holiday brings joy and gladness—
Makes us banish thoughts of sadness,
Arbor Day, your reign is brief,—
But every blossom, every leaf,
Every bird of wood or field
Its fullest homage now doth yield.
May you be a happy queen,
We, happy subjects are, I ween.

Arbor Day (while Chorus leads her to throne).

Thank you for your greeting hearty,
This will be a merry party.

Chorus.

Our friends, the children, in meadows at play,
Are coming to join our glad holiday.

School children (with baskets and bouquets of flowers pass to right of stage, salute in military fashion, saying):

Thank you, friends, greeting sweeter,
Never yet a queen had greet her.
But who comes now in trim array
So straight and proud,—tell me, pray?

Trees enter (carrying budded boughs of trees; they march and countermarch in simple march figures, while piano plays "Campbells are coming," or "Narcissus." They form in line, each saluting queen as he speaks his line.)

First boy:

The Maple gives us grateful shade;

Second boy:

The Laurel's honors never fade;

Third boy:

The Chestnut's flowers are fine to see;

Fourth boy:

But the Apple's are better, thinks the bee;

Fifth boy:

The Fir tree softly seems to sigh;

Sixth boy:

The Spruce lifts up its head so high;

Seventh boy:

The Elm tree's beauty you'll remark;

Eighth boy:

The Birch is proud of its silver bark;

Ninth boy:

The Cedar tree is stately and tall,

Tenth boy:

But the hale old Oak is king of all.

Trees in unison:

Arbor Day, your subjects loyal,
Give you greetings; hearty, royal.

(March to music to back of stage behind Flowers.)

Arbor Day.

Thank you, trees, from lowland and hill,
I appreciate your hearty good will,
Are others still coming to our fete?
We welcome them, though they be late.

Enter ten small girls (run in on tiptoe lightly, waving arms while the others sing.)

The birds are flying, tra-la, tra-la,
Their strong wings a-trying, tra-la, tra-la,
From east and west, they come with the rest,
For Springtime is here, tra-la, tra-la.

(Simple costumes make this more effective. All the girls wear white gowns—Chorus has a simple Greek dress. Arbor Day a crown of flowers and scepter, her maids baskets of flowers; the flower girls wear chaplets of blossoms, artificial ones are best; The Holidays can wear appropriate dress; the School-Children enter as if from play with their baskets, dolls, flowers, fishing rods, etc.)